Government Cheese

Government Cheese is a vibrant, emotionally rich dramedy that manages to feel both nostalgic and wildly original. Set in 1969 San Fernando Valley, it follows the Chambers family with heart, humor, and a touch of surreal magic. As someone who grew up in the Valley, I can honestly say they nailed the feeling of the place-the streets, the energy, even the sunlight. It felt close to home in the best way.

What really sets this series apart is its fearless storytelling-dreams blend with reality, and the line between absurdity and authenticity is danced upon with style and purpose. At the center is Hampton Chambers, whose return home from prison throws his already unconventional family into a beautiful storm of love, conflict, and rediscovery.

The writing is sharp, the pacing bold, and the performances deeply human. Each character is layered and compelling, and the visual direction captures both the period and the whimsy of the world being built.

More than just a comedy or a family drama, Government Cheese is a meditation on resilience and the American dream-especially for Black families navigating a world that rarely makes space for them. It's imaginative, culturally rich, and speaks to the power of dreaming beyond your circumstances.

Highly recommend watching. This one lingers with you.

Loving the style and setting of this. Anything that has the music of Can in it is obviously a labour of love and this programme is swimming in love from the set design to costuming and the performances. Wonderfully cast and acted. As the title says it's very reminiscent of Greg Garcias work to if you enjoyed My name is Earl or Raising Hopeand most latterly Sprung, the style of this and choice of shots will feel very familiar. Having to enter extra words just to meet an arbitrary word count is both ridiculous and and wasteful. If you can say everything you want to say within a few sentences why prolong?

I really did not expect to like this show based on the premise/aesthetic: surprised myself by watching all four episodes in one day. David Oyelowo's characters often come across as self-righteous, and it's interesting to see him in an edgier role where that attitude is not yet fully earned.

Comparisons to Wes Anderson and the Coen brothers will abound, but it most reminds me of Lodge 49. It's never really clear how much the religious/magical realist elements reflect reality vs. The characters' own sometimes questionable judgment. The whole cast is great: Simone Missick is always appealing, and Sunita Mani almost steals the whole show in what may be a one-off appearance.

This is the trend these days; since Hollywood has been around a while so they have apprenticeships and schools for all things production, and with the addition of $$ you can make a "decently-looking" show. But writers just show up, usually being chosen for values other than skill (skin color, age, sexual orientation, etc.), without much background or experience...especially lacking life experience. Add those two and Hollywood hopes you'll come for the description and stay for the production.

This is the case for Government Cheese: lackluster humor, pedantic storytelling, unexplained circumstances, actors not given any depth to work with. Black family good, white family bad. White family...French?? We all know at the least it would have been Latino (French "mafia" family in LA in the 60s or 70s? Nope.). That last choice will indicate how this writing will go, btw: it will pay more attention to hit all the "right" messages along the way than focusing on dialogue, plot, consistency, etc.=too many speed bumps in the storytelling.

The main character is somehow a genius mechanic who can make a drill in his backyard, but was kiting checks? Huh? Ambivalent wife and kids. Inane prison setup w/ a "surprise!" killing? Couldn't stomach it.

There is a lot going on in Government Cheese and, for the most part, it works. The actors are all very appealing. The writing is quirky and engaging. The period sets, costumes and music are fantastic. Having said that, I'm not sure the whole show comes together, as there are a lot of disparate elements, rabbit holes and dead ends that make the first season a bit scattered.

Still, I appreciate that Apple TV+ continues to produce out-of-the-box, entertaining series that you typically won't find anywhere else. This includes offerings like Acapulco, Hello Tomorrow, The Big Door Prize, The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin, Palm Royale, etc. All those series kept me entertained, even if some of them didn't completely work.

Without giving anything substantial away, Government Cheese leaves a lot of balls in the air at the end of season one. So, like some of the above-mentioned shows and others, I really hope that Apple TV+ greenlights a second season. As far as the first season, I'd rate it an 8.2.